Winnipeg, MT: An antitrust class action lawsuit has been filed against seven of the world's leading automotive part manufacturers alleging they colluded to fix the price of their automotive parts.
Filed in British Columbia, Canada, the lawsuit claims the inflated parts prices were passed onto automobile manufacturers and subsequently to people who bought or leased vehicles between January 2000 and February 2010.
The 200 page lawsuit lists guilty pleas made in the United States by some of the companies listed in this suit. Those guilty pleas resulted in billion dollar criminal fines for price-fixing and bid-rigging parts including starter motors, heater control panels and break hoses, amongst others. The Canadian class action affects parts used in some of the most popular vehicles sold in Canada.
Plaintiffs are represented by Boudreau Law of Winnipeg. The suit, which is seeking classification, cites the following defendants: Denso Corporation, Denso Manufacturing Canada, Inc., Denso Sales Canada, Inc., Denso International America, Inc., Denso International Korea Corporation, Asmo Co., Ltd., Asmo North America, Llc, Asmo Manufacturing, Inc., Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas, Inc. Hitachi Metals, Ltd. (being successor in interest to Hitachi Cable, Ltd.), Hitachi Metals America, Llc (being successor in interest to Hitachi Metals America, Ltd.), Hitachi Cable America Inc., Hitachi America, Ltd. (D/B/A Hitachi Canada), Mitsuba Corporation, American Mitsuba Corporation, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Wintec America, Inc., Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems, Inc., K&S Wiring Systems, Inc., Sumitomo Wiring Systems (U.S.A.), Tokai Rika, Co. Ltd., Tram, Inc. D/B/A Tokai Rika U.S.A. Inc., Yazaki Corporation, Yazaki North America, Inc., and Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., And American Furukawa, Inc.
